TEATRO | 1961 | EUGENE IONESCO

Teatro is a comprehensive collection of absurdist theatre by Eugène Ionesco, first published in Italian in 1961. It gathers many of his major plays—La cantatrice calva, La lezione, Le sedie, Il rinoceronte, among others—translated into Italian. The volume introduces Ionesco’s characteristic use of nonsense, repetition, language breakdown, and grotesque humor, all aimed at revealing the absurdity underlying everyday human behavior and communication. It contrasts ordinary settings with surreal situations, exploring themes of alienation, identity, ritual, power, and the collapse of meaning. This edition played a crucial role in diffusing the teatro dell’assurdo in Italy, offering a broad panorama of Ionesco’s dramatic voice.